MagNeed - Needle-Shaped Electromagnets for Localized Actuation Within Compact Workspaces

Electromagnetic actuation of micro-/milli-sized agents has traditionally relied on large electromagnets positioned at considerable distances from the agents. As a result, the electromagnets consume kilowatts of power to overcome the limited generation of magnetic field gradients. Miniaturized electr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE robotics and automation letters 2023-06, Vol.8 (6), p.3908-3915
Main Authors: Huaroto, Juan J., Richter, Michiel, Malafaia, Mafalda, Kim, Jayoung, Kim, Chang-Sei, Park, Jong-Oh, Sikorski, Jakub, Misra, Sarthak
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Actuation
automation at micro-nano scales
Electromagnetics
Electromagnets
Electron tubes
Magnetic cores
Magnetic fields
Magnetoacoustic effects
Maximum power
Micro/nano robots
Polytetrafluoroethylene
Power consumption
Silica gel
Temperature measurement
Trapping
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Summary:Electromagnetic actuation of micro-/milli-sized agents has traditionally relied on large electromagnets positioned at considerable distances from the agents. As a result, the electromagnets consume kilowatts of power to overcome the limited generation of magnetic field gradients. Miniaturized electromagnets offer an alternative approach for reducing power consumption via localized actuation of micro-/milli-sized agents. Typically, the generation of magnetic field gradients in the vicinity of a miniaturized electromagnet is comparable with traditional electromagnetic actuation systems. Miniaturized electromagnets can be positioned near target sites in microfluidic channels or ex vivo vasculatures. Thereby, localized trapping and actuation of magnetic micro-/milli-sized agents are carried out. This study introduces MagNeed - an electromagnetic actuation system composed of three needle-shaped electromagnets (NSEs). MagNeed can determine compact workspaces by positioning the NSEs at different spatial configurations. Each NSE generates magnetic field gradients (up to 3.5 T/m at 5 mm from the NSE tip axis) while keeping a maximum power consumption (0.5 W) and temperature (< 42 ^{\circ}C). MagNeed is complemented by a framework that reconstructs the pose of the NSEs. Experiments test MagNeed and framework on a transparent Teflon tube (5 mm inner diameter). MagNeed demonstrates localized trapping and actuation of a 1 mm NdFeB bead against a flow of water and silica gel particles (1-3 mm diameter).
ISSN:2377-3766
2377-3766
DOI:10.1109/LRA.2023.3273519